In the woods near the village of Jodcar stand the crumbling remnants of stone walls. Amid the ivy-clad ruins, an oaken trapdoor gives access to a flight of stone stairs leading down under the earth. Once the lair of the hapless conjurer Kal-Dokk, it is currently occupied by strange monsters and two parties of brave and/or foolish men.

For the past couple of days, you have been staying in the village of Jodcar: a peaceful town on the edge of woods that stretch out as far to the east as the eye can see. You have been doing some odd jobs to earn money in order to gather supplies, and in the evenings you usually hang out at the bar of the town’s only inn: the ‘Hunter's Moon’.

Tonight is no exception: you are sitting in the Hunter’s Moon, sipping away at some ale to kill the night. You have been making plans to head out tomorrow and investigate the trapdoor that is said to lead down into the catacombs beneath the old tower.

The inn keeper's wife, Miriam, waits the tables at the inn. She comes up to yours, throws the cloth she's been cleaning tables with over her shoulder and puts her hands on her hips: "Can I get you gentlemen anything?"

Miriam eagerly takes the gold piece and she winks at Memphisto: "Keep practicing sugar, you'll get it right. Honey wine, cherries and fowl, it is!"

The inn must be as old as the village itself: it is a single storey stone-walled building, with a fully wooden interior. The smell of stale ale and smoke seems to be soaked up by every piece of furniture. There is a common room and a couple of private rooms to serve accommodation and a small stable behind the inn has room for a few horses. The inn keeper, a big man named Giles, has tended the bar himself ever since he owned the place.

It's a typical night at the inn: Giles is at the bar, washing some mugs, and there are about ten other customers enjoying their drinks and food. You see a couple of peasants at one table, endulging in some dice game, a handful of tradespeople discussing the art of negotiation, and a few men-at-arms, spending their night off from their guard duty with a seemingly unquenchable thirst.

Memphisto motions to Miriam, "Please give the men-at-arms a round of drinks on me, milady."

When the drinks are served, Memphisto will walk to their table and say, "Evening. I'm seeking to employ one or more men-at-arms to assist myself in exploring the stone works outside of town. Think about it. It is dangerous work, I'm sure, but very profitable for those of you willing to run the risk. I'll have you know that I have powerful spells to lay low our enemies. Please think about it. I will be over at the far table, ready to receive any of your inquiries."

Dahl Kolla will observe the men-at-arms, gauging their reactions. He is watching for one who is interested but not boisterous, a strong but humble man (and seemingly lawful, to the extent that such a thing may ‘seem’ to be). When he has his man and the opportunity affords itself, Dahl Kolla will approach and talk fighterly small talk about arms and armor, then he will discuss the possibility of the two exploring side by side, hoping to get the man’s spirits excited (actual spirits may be purchased if deemed necessary and the man is truly Dahl Kolla’s right man for the job) before negotiating fees and shares.

OOC EDIT: Further info in case the story advances before I am able to post again:If Dahl Kolla has gold left after the above, he will check out the peasants to see if there is one who seems a worthy candidate—basically someone strong and of goodly manner—to serve on the adventure. The job would be to bear torch or shield or whatever extra gear Dahl Kolla needs carried. Not knowing the exact state of the Jodcar peasants, Dahl Kolla’s offer will begin at 1gp/week but raise to 2gp if necessary and funds allow.

Dahl Kolla bows his head in appreciation and takes a seat at the table. “You speak truly, Memphisto. Yet if we can hire but one worthy this will be an evening well spent.” Dahl Kolla pauses, listening intently as he eyes the room. “I hope the young acolyte will be joining us soon.”

Lisglen looks at his two companions intently. After a while, he talks: "I am afraid my purse is empty. I will pray the True Light that this endeavor of ours is successful, and that we can improve our condition soon. Alternately, some young men willing to follow the path of wisdom could also decide to join us for free!" After a while and having given some thought to his last sentence, he adds: "Probably not anytime soon though..."

Memphisto’s generous gesture strikes well with the men-at-arms: cheers go up and wishes of good health are sent your way as Miriam serves the drinks and nods in your direction.

There are three men at the table: two of them seem to be in their late teens while the other looks maybe ten years older. His hair is blond and he has a grey, stubbly beard. The older man does most of the talking, while the other two seem to be more interested in drinking: ”Excuse these boys, they don’t get to go out a lot,” he smiles apologetically. Memphisto and Dahl Kolla chat for a while with the soldier and learn he goes by the name of Holger. Holger turns out to be quite knowledgeable on weapons, armor and the code of war. His apprentices, Albin and Finnur, are not paying too much attention to the conversation and doze off every now and then, obviously intoxicated by the beer they’ve been drinking. Holger nudges Albin in his side: ”Wake up, you juicers… These gentlemen are offering us a job!” The three agree to join you the next day on your trip to the woods for a fair share of any loot you may get out of it.

You return to your table to discuss their offer among yourselves. Miriam returns with the drinks and food and sets it down on the table. She leans over the table, and asks Lisglen: ”What about you, sweetheart? Can I get you anything?”. She glances over yourfresh equipment and shakes her head, looking a bit melancholic: "You boys sure remind me of my husband when he was younger..."